Jackass' Bam Margera explains puppy prank

Philadelphia - Jackass star Bam Margera says he condemns animal abuse and didn't mean any harm by a photo posted online showing him holding his pit bull puppy with a toy gun pointed to its head.

The 33-year-old Margera had posted the photo on Twitter, saying that if the dog made a mess in his bed again "Penny goes Bye Byes".

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Margera says he loves animals and wished he had made it more clear the gun was fake.

Margera, who is from suburban Philadelphia, says it was a joke.

'Jackass kind of humour'

Magera, 33, said he was unaware of a rise in animal-abuse cases in the area.

"I think those people need to go down," he told the Inquirer, adding that he would've never posted the photo if he'd known about the recent instances of abuse.

"Just hurting another animal is rude, crude and more."

Responding to the outrage over his tweet, he told the Inquirer: "I feel like every follower I have on Twitter knows my Jackass joking kind of humour."

Chester County SPCA officials, however, say it wasn't funny, even for a shock comedian like Margera.

SPCA spokesperson Rich Britton says Margera "missed the mark on this one."

- Channel24